Fall is (almost) here and it's time to make plans. Dallas is a large metropolis with lots to do — and we're here to cull it down to the best bets in arts, culture, theater, music, and dining.
Our team of experts weeded through the key entertainment categories to narrow down five primary picks for each: major film releases, the biggest concerts coming to town, top theater productions, must-see museum & gallery shows, and the five hottest restaurants opening soon.
Nobody can do it all, but you can surely do these. At the very least, you're in the know.
Here's our list of arts, culture, theater, music, and dining for fall 2024, starting in late August and running right up to the holidays.
MOVIES
These five films include a highly anticipated sequel, a director's passion project, a star-studded comic book musical, a pop-culture biographical comedy, and a long-awaited Broadway musical adaptation.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice September 6
It's been 36 years since director Tim Burton first introduced audiences to the weird and wild world of
Beetlejuice, and now he's back with the highly anticipated sequel featuring original stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara. They'll be joined by rising star Jenna Ortega in the latest attempt to turn nostalgia for one-off '80s movies into a franchise.
Megalopolis September 27
The name Francis Ford Coppola still carries a lot of clout despite the fact that this writer/director's output has slowed to a trickle and he hasn't made a universally well-received movie since 1997's
The Rainmaker. Initial word on this film, which stars Adam Driver, is less-than-promising, but hope springs eternal that the 85-year-old filmmaker can give the world one last masterpiece.
Joker: Folie à Deux October 4
What better way to make a sequel for 2019's
Joker than to make it a jukebox musical co-starring Lady Gaga and give it a weird French subtitle? Star Joaquin Phoenix and director Todd Phillips are back from the original film, and given that movie's massive box office - over $1 billion - and the thirst of comic book fans for movies featuring one of that world's best known villains, those who doubt do so at their own peril.
Saturday Night October 11
Forty-nine years to the day after TV show
Saturday Night Live premiered on NBC (they couldn't wait one more year for an even 50?), writer/director Jason Reitman will release a dramatization of what was happening behind-the-scenes leading up to that first episode. The iconic nature of the show, not to mention the people who brought it to life, might make it a tough sell for some, but the intrigue of how the cast of young actors will portray the famous comedians makes it a strong draw.
Wicked: Part One November 22
Movie adaptations of Broadway musicals have a hit-and-miss record - sometimes they
win Best Picture, sometimes they completely bomb. But Wicked, which is finally hitting big screens over 20 years after its debut, seems to be one of those no-doubters, even if the studio made the odd decision to not only split the film into two parts, but space them a year apart. With Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the lead roles, can the Tony-winning musical defy gravity once more?
Pink in concert
Photo courtesy of Pink
MUSIC
These five concerts include a rare solo outing for a female rapper, a three-night R&B superstar residency, a massive woman-headlined tour, a pop-punk retro bill, and a holiday chestnut.
Green Day September 11
Pop-punk act stops at Globe Life Field in Arlington — part of their Saviors Tour crossing the U.S. this fall in support of their new album of the same name. It's a bit of a deja vu as it's the same venue they played back in 2021 with Fall Out Boy and Weezer. This time they're joined by fellow retro acts Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, and The Linda Lindas.
Nicki Minaj September 17
Rapper Nicki Minaj may not go out on tour alone much - this concert is part of her first solo tour in eight years - but she sure does love the color pink. Her new album,
Pink Friday 2, joins a discography that also includes Pink Friday (2010), Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012), and The Pinkprint (2014), with 2018's Queen the only outlier. Minaj, the first woman to score 100 Billboard Hot 100 hits, will perform for the second time this year at American Airlines Center.
Usher October 3-5
It's been a big year for Usher, who headlined the halftime show at Super Bowl LVIII in February. But he capitalized on that massive exposure by announcing a new album and a huge tour in support of that album. The response from his fans proved to be overwhelming, as what was supposed to be just one concert at American Airlines Center turned into three. The tour will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of his 1994 self-titled debut album.
Pink November 6
There will be even more Pink in town when the singer who gave herself that name brings her Summer Carnival Tour to Globe Life Field in Arlington. The artist formerly known as Alecia Moore is now nine albums deep into her career, including her latest -
Trustfall - from 2023. Appropriately for the larger venue, the concert will also include a set by special guest Sheryl Crow, as well as warm-up DJ KidCutUp.
Mariah Carey November 21
The holiday season isn't complete without Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You," and the iconic singer will give fans a chance to enjoy that song live when she brings her
Christmas Time tour to American Airlines Center in Dallas. The tour will celebrate the 30th anniversary of her 1994 album Merry Christmas and feature Carey's holiday classics alongside fan-favorite chart-toppers.
Hand roll by Domodomo, coming this fall.Domodomo
RESTAURANTS
These five restaurants include a hotly-anticipated chef-driven doughnut shop, a buzzy omakase spot from N.Y., a breezy new rosé spot downtown, an all-day hipster hang in Deep Ellum, and a home-cooking East Dallas treasure.
La Rue Doughnuts
New doughnut shop at Trinity Groves is
from acclaimed chef team Casey and Amy LaRue, who previously owned Carte Blanche, the award-winning restaurant-bakery they closed in June. La Rue Doughnuts takes the doughnuts they made in small quantities at their former bakery and spins it into a dedicated doughnut shop that is going to blow our doughnut socks off. They'll focus on doughnuts only (you can stop asking if they're doing croissants), with a variety of styles: brioche, cake doughnuts, old-fashioned, and their signature crullers. Opening August 29.
Domodomo
Chef-driven dock-to-table concept
coming to The Quad — the just-renovated mixed-use development in Uptown Dallas — is by Brian Kim, a Culinary Institute of America graduate who opened the original location in New York where it is recognized not only for its hand rolls but also for its ever-changing, inventive "domokase" menu – an attainably-priced, omakase-inspired menu offering best-in-class sushi alongside hot and cold dishes. Opening in November.
The Hampton Social
East Coast-style hangout with lobster rolls and rosé is
coming to downtown Dallas, taking over the former Iron Cactus at 1520 Main St. The concept is from Parker Hospitality, a Chicago-based restaurant group that debuted the concept in 2015 with shareable dishes, large-format drinks, and a "rosé all day" theme with a dozen-plus by the glass. The menu skews towards seafood with oysters, a seafood tower, and fish tacos. But there's also a smashburger, chicken sandwich, and steak frites. Opening in fall.
Kanpai Coffee + Beer Garden
Day-to-night
concept opening in Deep Ellum in the former Mama Tried space is from a team that includes acclaimed Austin chef Michael Carranza Kanpai and will serve as a relaxed meeting place with a focus on quality coffee, food, and drinks for a reasonable price. The Asian-inspired menu will take its cues from some of Carranza's other restaurants such the innovative hand rolls from his Austin restaurant Texas Sushiko, as well as his past experience working for restaurants such as Uchi, Musashino, and Minamoto. Opening mid-August.
Be Home Soon
New concept
opening at Casa Linda Plaza in East Dallas will serve a highly personal twist on home cooking. The restaurant is from Madison King, Dallas musician-turned-chef who envisions a warm, comfortable restaurant with a full bar and menu of home cooking, "no matter where you're from": soups, salads, and sandwiches for lunch, with blue plate specials for dinner — your basic "meat and three style," which they'll change every week. It'll also serve as home to Munchbox, King's snacks board concept, operating as a ghost kitchen out of the restaurant. Opening late 2024.
Surf Wagon, St. Petersburg Beach, FL, 1964, by Al SatterwhitePDNB
MUSEUMS & GALLERIES
These five exhibits include a Frida revisit, a surprising Jewish community, an unconventional video piece, an epic American photographer, and a memorial to a local professor and critic.
Frida: Beyond the Myth, Dallas Museum of Art, August 18-November 17, 2024
You might think you know all about Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, but here's the chance to see her through her own eyes. Composed of 60 works across media — paintings, drawings, prints, and photographs — the chronological exhibition explores the defining moments of the enigmatic painter's life.
Hidden History: Recounting the Shanghai Jewish Story, Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, August 9-February 16, 2025
American photojournalist Arthur Rothstein was working for the U.N. at the end of World War II when he encountered a community of Jewish refugees living in Shanghai, China — an unexpected safe haven at a time when Jews were being turned away by most countries. This exhibit, featuring artifacts, survivor stories, and photos, was previously at the Holocaust Museum L.A. in 2022.
Parent Trap by Eileen Maxson, at Keijsers Koning, August 24-September 28
Frst solo exhibition at the Design District gallery for Houston artist Eileen Maxson is a video work that hovers between experimental documentary, family relationships, American Zeitgeist, and a polygraph exam. Maxson uses a lie detector on her parents to tackle topics like politics that would otherwise be too polarizing. The work is presented on three screens, each dedicated to one character, making the viewer feel like they are part of a kitchen table conversation.
Al Satterwhite, a Retrospective, at PDNB Gallery, August 24-November 9
For its first exhibition of the fall art gallery season, PDNB Gallery presents a solo show of photographs by Al Satterwhite (b. 1944, Biloxi, Mississippi), who shot for
Life, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, and Car & Driver; worked in the advertising world on campaigns with American Express, Coca Cola, Eastman Kodak, Oldsmobile, and Sony; then worked in the Hollywood film industry. His photographs are in major museum collections including the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
Honoring Frances Colpitt (1952-2022), Barry Whistler Gallery, August 31-September 28
TCU professor, scholar, critic, and author who published two books on American art, plus essays, articles, and book reviews, passed away in 2022, after having influenced a generation of young artists and arts professionals during her lifetime. Exhibit spotlights nine artists Colpitt supported including Michael Miller, John Pomara, Allison V. Smith, and John Wilcox.
Broadway cast of ShuckedShucked
THEATER
These five shows incorporate the Olympics, Latin theater & dance, Russian folk music, and the wonders of corn.
Jet Fuel, Bishop Arts Theatre Center, September 12-22
Olympics fever doesn't have to end in August. Inspired by the extraordinary tale of South African Olympic sprinter Caster Semenya, who has faced years of legal battles related to her gender and naturally occurring testosterone levels, this captivating production casts a brilliant spotlight on the intricate intersections of gender, race identity, and the quest for fairness in the realm of athletics.
Company - The Musical, Winspear Opera House, September 25-29
A gender-bending twist defines this revival of the classic '70s musical about the famously single protagonist and their quest to find somebody to love who makes them feel alive. Stephen Sondheim's famous score includes the hopeful "Marry Me a Little" and delightful "Not Getting Married Today."
Latinidades Festival, Cara Mía Theatre, September 26-October 13
Back for its fifth year, this international festival brings together artists from Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, California, Florida, and Dallas for two-plus weeks of theater, dance, and music. New this year is the arts symposium, October 3-5, with topics like audience building, collaborations, community as a campus, working with your city government, and how funders can partner with artists and arts organizations.
Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1912, Theatre Three, November 29-December 29
The regional premiere of Dave Malloy's ingenious interpretation of part of Tolstoy's
War and Peace will seem right at home in Theatre Three's in-the-round performance space, as the musical's productions both on and off Broadway were famously immersive. Get ready for a Russian romp through love, marriage, betrayal, and Bolsheviks with an electro-pop score influenced by Russian folk music.
Shucked, Broadway Dallas, December 3-15
Those with long memories may have a vague recollection of
Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical at Dallas Theater Center in 2015. It was retooled, renamed, and returned to the stage in 2022 as Broadway's surprise hit Shucked, about a corn-loving community that rallies together to save its No. 1 crop. Even the internet's favorite "Corn Kid" gave the show his stamp of approval, and now the national tour pops up in Dallas.
